Monday, March 14, 2016

Not because the guy shot the axe attacker, that seems like a good thing. But now everyone's gun-nut relatives are going to be posting this story on Facebook and Twitter and everywhere else and saying "Seeeee? I told you. Good guy with a gun!"

And of course, they will completely disregard the deluge of headlines like

Gun-promoting mother shot in the back by toddler with .45

Apison toddler accidentally shot himself in the head, authorities say

Grocery store employee accidentally shot by manager

NYC Police Officer Shot by Friendly Fire During Drug Arrest

Gun ownership is a bit like seatbelt use. Everybody knows someone who knows someone whose life was supposedly saved when he was "thrown clear" because he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, or someone who was trapped in a burning car because his seatbelt jammed. And those stories may be true. But 9 times out of 10, seatbelts save lives. And, yes, occasionally a "good guy with a gun" shoots a dangerous criminal and saves the day. But way, way more often, it ends up like this: